An exploration of intramolecular carbon isotopic distributions of commercial acetone and isopropanol

We report on an analysis of the isotope compositions of individual carbon positions within commercial acetones and isopropanols using gas chromatography combustion isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC-C-IRMS). We have tentatively classified both acetones and isopropanols into two source types: those with no significant difference in δ13CMe and δ13CCO values are from refinery propylene; while other samples with less negative δ13CMe values than the corresponding δ13CCO values are from steam pyrolysis propylene. These results also suggest that the isotopic composition of individual carbon-positions of the reservoir hydrocarbons are position random except for the methyl-carbon in favor of the heavy isotope.